Hebrews 12:2 tells us this about Jesus: “Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.” It’s hard to think about all the suffering Jesus experienced and see that as a joyful time. We know He experienced excruciating pain—a greater pain than any of us are likely to ever face. We call the remembrance of this event Good Friday, but in many ways, it probably felt like a pretty bad Friday when you really think about it.
And yet . . . there was joy set before Him. What does that mean? It means that the thing that saw Him through all the pain was the anticipation of the Resurrection. He could handle Friday because He knew Sunday was coming.
He could handle Friday because He knew Sunday was coming.
So, how can you and I find joy in the midst of the suffering in our lives? How can we respond with hope when it feels like life is crucifying us?
If you are hurting, you’re hurting. If you’re sad, you’re sad. If you’re depressed, you’re depressed. You can’t just climb down off the cross of your suffering. Sometimes we have to endure the hard things, the hard times and the hard circumstances. But, at the same time, we can hold out hope that though it may be Friday today . . . Sunday is coming.
. . . Sunday is coming.
Your pain is real, but so is your hope. And because of that hope, you can find joy even in your darkest moments. There is a resurrection on the horizon.
